onceuponers

[onceuponers]

"You're not a swimmer?! Why not?" Ariel asks, actually shocked to hear it. He couldn't imagine living a life without the ocean; it was all he knew for most of his young life. Funny how leaving home made him wish to return to it. He thought he'd never say that upon leaving Atlantica...

"What isn't good about it? Not only is it full of life, but it feels so good on your skin, and in your hair... I cannot believe you don't have these—" Ariel drones, his long, wet hair whipping around in excitement and accidentally sloshing some onto the other man in the process. "Oh, sorry," he then blushes, tugging on the bottom of his loaned shirt.

"I'm... my name is Ariel," he says demurely. "Are you from one of those portal thing-a-ma-bobs...?"

"hm."  the  shirt  did  as  it  should,  just  barely,  but  zeke  was  content  with  the  result  for  the  time  being.  he  wasn't  particularly  shy  when  it  came  to  nudity  ...or  maybe  he  was.  ever  since  he  discovered  the  perks  of  clothes  &  the  protection  they  offered  when  skin  fought  nature  every  day,  he  ..couldn't  go  back  to  the  way  he  used  to  live.  his  clothes  weren't  special  most  of  the  time  -  furs  from  prey,  tanned  into  leather  &  stitched,  but  today  he  worse  some  of  his  finest  (it  ..was  decent,  really)  pieces.  it  was  the  same  he'd  worn  on  the  first  day  of  the  festivities.  anyway.  it'd  given  its  life  for  a  good  cause,  so  he  couldn't  be  really  complain.

though  the  fish  man  was  ....  well,  confusing.  not  used  to  seeing  strangers  close  to  water  spoke  of  great  dangers  in  the  water  -  which  made  it  all  the  more  impressive  that  the  other  had  been  in  the  water  when  he  got  here.  was  he  brave  or  ...had  he  lost  his  marbles?

huh?

"uh,  no."  shaking  his  head  a  little,  a  little  glare  &  growl  combination  sent  towards  the  water  in  response  to  a  small  wave  clashing  into  a  rock  close-by.  "not...a  swimmer."  could  he  traverse  the  river  snaking  its  way  through  the  forest?  yes.  but  this....a  body  of  water?  oh,  that  made  his  hackles  raise.  "this--",  he  pointed  at  the  water.  "not  somethin'  we  got  where  i  come  from.  what's  …  so  good  about  it?"  he  assumed  that  was  the  explanation  he  was  looking  for  as  to  why  the  other  smelled  like  fish.

[onceuponers]

Maxime glances at the person beside him, indicating his attention but not quite giving it fully. "Good evening," he says. Upon slightly further inspection, the man certainly had his looks about it, perfectly handsome and approachable. Not unlike either of his deceased husbands. Hopefully his personality called to mind the second more than the first.

"I'll drink to that — or rather, I would if I had a drink. Seems I was not offered one as I entered. A pity. Maybe I would be able to enjoy myself more if I were mildly inebriated. Even someone such as myself who comes from some level of wealth finds this display garish... at least I work for my means. Some of us don't have the choice.

"Maxime Tremaine," he finally says, greeting the other with his steely gaze. "Are you from this hideous kingdom?"

when the invitation reached him initially, gothel was going to turn it down. anything that involved nobles was a bad omen. they were selfish, egotistical, and overall had no common decency when it came to other people's lives. it was them versus the world.

still, not showing would've meant that they won.

gothel was not kind enough to hand out a victory so easily. so he put on his best burgundy suit and decided to mingle with the others. having to fake a smile for the majority of the event was the hardest part so far. the easiest? getting to meet other monsters like himself.

yet that also meant that he would reach an impasse with some of them. like the man that he had just approached. he has no intention of being the first to say something. he also doesn't have any intention of bonding with him. maxime's words change everything though.

a small smile forms on gothel's face, it's almost wicked in nature. he grabs a champagne flute from one of the trays passing by, practically having to wave the person down. “good evening.” it's almost a whisper as he clings onto the wall and watches everyone in their natural habitat. his attention isn't on the man next to him, it's on the crowd. how fun it is to watch people when they don't know you're looking.

“you don't have to convince me that royalty does not equate to being worthy of the status one has.” although outwardly he looks at peace with the event. small smile, not enough to cause smile lines but enough to look soft. his words betray his stance. maybe he feels at ease to be himself. “but what can you expect when they're born with everything and don't have to work hard to have a single thought in that head of theirs?” 

a small chuckle escapes his lips, almost like he's proud of his own statement. if no one is around to toot gothel's horn then he's probably dead. he always has himself. “although this many people in the same place? something interesting is bound to happen.” and he for one, cannot wait.

[onceuponers]

"I can agree to that because I don't have much wealth to my name, either. Not compared to the people who live in this... monstrosity," Maxime sneers. He may have been a nobleman, sure, but most of his riches were generational, passed down to him. His sewing business decently sustained the family, but they certainly were not royals.

"My first husband married me for my money, and did a wonderful job of spending it until he died. I wish I could say I was responsible for that one, but alas, just a happy accident... so when I married my second husband, he must have truly loved me for me. Imagine that..."

He finally glances over to the younger man —the younger, attractive man— but doesn't offer his hand. That wasn't his job to do. "Maxime Tremaine. Pleasured to meet you."

Yukine is always fascinated by mortals who believe they're above others. As if.

It's always entertaining to watch that haughty attitude crumble once they realize they're in the presence of not only a magical being but a near deity.

So approaching the man was a must.

"I suppose it is," Yukine agrees. "Though wealth doesn't always equate to power either. No matter what others might say. You can agree on that, I presume."

[onceuponers]

[onceuponers]

HUGH JACKMAN photographed by Marc Hom for Variety, 2022

[onceuponers]

HUGH JACKMAN as Nick Bannister Reminiscence (2021) dir. Lisa Joy

[onceuponers]

open to: anyone! premise: maxime is making his grand re-introduction at stefan's gala and he wouldn't mind finding someone to take advantage of @talednewsletter

Maxime never really cared for parties. Too many people. Couldn't hear yourself think. And worst of all, parties held at his manor meant he was the one expected to do all the work. Just a ghastly endeavor for no really benefit.

But this one was different.

King Stefan —speaking of entities Maxime had no love for— decided it would be a lovely time to hold a gala for his dear, beloved son. He didn't even know the man that well, but if he were anything like the royalty Maxime existed with, then he disliked him, too.

The actually interesting part? This party would, essentially, be the first major event since the introduction of the portals connecting their realm to others. And you know what that meant? Plenty of new fish in the sea for Maxime to, well, fish.

But that's not all. This would also be Maxime's official 'coming out' party following his transition. No longer forced to live his life as a woman after making some shady deals in an outside realm, people from not just his own realm, but several others, would meet the real Maxime Tremaine for the first time. Lots was riding on his performance tonight.

Maxime strolled into the palace with ease, looking every bit the dapper, handsome older gentleman he now was. But he couldn't seem eager. He needed party-goers to come to him. Show their interest. So he waited... perhaps a bit longer than he would have liked... until finally, he saw someone approach him. He wondered if they recognized him from before, or if they were completely oblivious. Time would soon tell.

"Good evening," he says curtly, not turning to face them as he observed the party from the sidelines. "If there's ever been an event to prove that wealth doesn't equate to taste, it's this one... good to know that royalty is gauche in any realm they may pollute, I suppose. I hope we can agree on that."

[onceuponers]

hugh jackman, bisexual, trans man + he/him/his → isn’t that maxime tremaine? i hear that they're the wicked stepmother from cinderella. i hear they’re 56. they seem to be cultured & ambitious, but also envious & conniving. their aesthetics include luxurious fabrics, green-eyed envy & glistening jewels.

basics

full name maxime tremaine age fifty-six gender trans man (he/him/his) orientation demiromantic bisexual species human occupation nobleman; clothing designer powers none unless you consider big juicy milf tits a superpower

physical

hair graying brown eyes green height five foot eleven build above-average for his age; big chest and thick rear physical marks none face claim hugh jackman

mental

alignment neutral evil positive traits cultured, ambitious, intelligent negative traits cruel, conniving, envious hobbies shopping, drinking wine, designing clothes, being a cunt to cinderella, seducing taken men phobias rhytiphobia (fear of getting wrinkles) sexual preference bottom; dominant

personal

birthplace tba parents deceased father, deceased mother spouse two deceased husbands siblings two biological children, cinderella (stepson)

biography

tba but tl;dr maxime previously presented as a woman for most of his life for the sake of his family and their public image but transitioned once he came upon magic from a villain in another realm and stopped giving a shit about reputation

[onceuponers]

Hugh Jackman as Nick Bannister in REMINISCENCE (2021) dir. Lisa Joy

[onceuponers]

ariel marcet.      the little merlad.

maxime tremaine.      the wicked stepmother. 

[onceuponers]

[ littlemerlad -> onceuponers ]

[onceuponers]

do they snore, talk and/or move a lot while sleeping?

Ariel is such an annoying sleeper, which Eric can likely attest to. He snores, he groans, he takes up as much space on the bed as his limbs will allow... a lot of it comes from growing up under the sea, being used to so much pressure weighing him down. He's lucky his beautiful face makes up for being so difficult to sleep with...

[onceuponers]

@frayedattheendings: ‘ hey! watch where you’re going, stupid head! ’

Ariel did not take kindly to such harsh words. He hadn't even been in this realm for longer than thirty minutes; how was he to know where he was going? Where to look as he moved? Even if he'd grown comfortable in his human legs by now, they still felt a little wonky from time to time. Particularly when he was nervous or uncertain.

"Who are you calling stupid head...?!" Ariel protests, pouting at the rude sentiment. "I am not stupid! It is not my fault I did not grow up on the surface world, unaware of you humans and your weird 'gravity' thing!"

Then he regains some calm.

"I am sorry. It was an accident. I am... not from here."

[onceuponers]

When Ariel realizes it's not a stranger, but in fact his beloved husband, his body relaxes. As someone who used to be hunted in the ocean for sport, well... he was used to being defensive. Having his guard up. But Eric was the very one who showed him that humans were not inherently threats to his kind. His face... it felt like home, regardless of whether or not they were actually mere steps away from the place they literally lived.

"You know how jumpy I can be, Eric!" Ariel giggles, feeling much more comfortable in his nudity around the man who'd already seen him naked —and far worse than just that— countless times.

"Oh! I completely forgot!" Ariel admits, embarrassed to be caught in yet another instance of brainlessness. Humans and their schedules... boring.

"I started preparing, but then I saw how beautiful the ocean looked from our quarters, and it's been so long since I've gotten to be in the water like this... you're not mad, are you?" he asks, letting his handsome beau kiss his face anywhere he pleased. "I don't wish to embarrass Tirol in front of our new friend already..."

"   no, please. something that beautiful shouldn't be covered.   "          king eric says with a chuckle as well, finally coming out from where he was hiding for him to see and recognize who was watching him. in his hands were ariel's clothes, sea soaked with some caked in sand, but they were folded and held in reverence in his hands. and though he said his words in jest, that doesn't mean it didn't ring true. among all his treasures, among all the views he has seen through his adventures, he is still the most beautiful thing in the world.

he remembered an advise triton has told him before, on the day of their marriage in this very spot of the beach: that ariel may have earned his legs, his chosen mundane form, and eric might try to build him the tallest and most beautiful palace in the world. but ariel will always have a spirit of the sea.

eric has done his best to fulfill that, too. because ariel deserved all that and more.

approaching with the sweetest of smiles, he wraps his husband in his embrace, his big biceps enough to cover the modesty he barely can a while ago.    "   you told me you were packing your clothes for the trip. wanna explain to me why i saw them scattered on the beach?   "    he whispered to him humorously, before planting a long, soft kiss on his forehead, and moving down to his lips.

"   need i remind you, my pearl, that the palace staff are preparing a farewell party for us for our trip to stefan's kingdom?   "    he says. but he also doesn't make a move to usher themselves back to the palace. he even tightens his embrace on him, keeping them in the sand as sea breeze blew through them.    "   you should be ready now. you don't wanna disappoint them, right?   "

[onceuponers]

Ariel looked at the strange man and had an unusual, yet palpable sense that he looked... hungry? Or at the very least, an intimidating aura about him that made Ariel feel uneasy. He felt bad about it; he always prided himself on giving others a chance and not judging them on first appearances. After all, some would consider Ariel himself a monster, with his natural merfolk physiology and all that entailed. Even if he didn't presently appear as such.

But on the topic of first impressions, well... he couldn't exactly blame the man for staring at his nude body. It was a lot to look at. And the attention wasn't completely unwanted.

Silently accepting the shirt as it was offered to him, Ariel tried to avoid gawking at this man's own impressive physique, so mature and firm... it almost reminded him of Eric. Thankfully, it was big enough on him that it managed to hand down low enough to cover his modesty. But only just to. He tugged it down a bit just to be certain.

"It is not forbidden, no... I am just not used to seeing strangers this close to the water. It's my favorite place on these grounds," Ariel explains. "I was just swimming. I... I love to swim. Do you like to swim...?"

ugh,  where  the  fuck  did  he  end  up?  with  the  portals  up  &  running,  he'd  felt  urge  to  ....widen  his  horizon,  explore  new  places  &  maybe  find  out  a  little  more  about  himself.  old  as  only  few  creatures  left  alive  &  yet  he  always  wondered  who  he  was  besides  the  monster  everybody  saw  him  as.  he  assumed  it  wouldn't  differ  if  he  went  elsewhere,  all  kingdoms  had  monsters  &  all  of  the  townsfolk  would  surely  recognize  one  when  they  saw  him  one.

but  this  was  fascinating.  he'd  never  seen  so  much  water.  admittedly,  he'd  never  bothered  leaving  the  forest  he  was  born  in  -  why  would  he?  he  had  everything  there  he  could  possibly  need.  but  when  he  looked  at  the  water  right  now,  he  couldn't  see  land.  was  this  where  it  all  ended?  hm.  he  could  swim,  but  he  wasn't  too  eager  to  find  out  where  the  water  would  lead  -  if  it  even  led  anywhere.

the  last  thing  he  expected  was  for  a  man  to  emerge  right  in  front  of  him.  he  smelled  ..like  fish.  fish  man?  part  of  him  wondered  how  he  tasted  if  roasted  over  a  fire.  unlike  meat,  zeke  didn't  like  his  fish  raw.  shaking  his  head  a  little  when  the  other  spoke,  he  ...  debated  how  to  respond.  he  was  naked.  why  was  he  naked?

yes,  it  was  tempting.  yes,  he  had  to  bite  his  bottom  lip,  one  of  his  sharp  fangs  peeking  through,  to  stop  his  thoughts  from  running  wild  with  ideas.  he'd  make  a  fun  chase.  shaking  his  head  a  little,  a  soft  growl  blooming  within  his  chest,  he  pulled  off  his  shirt  to  hand  it  over.  it  should  be  long  enough  -  with  the  buttons  closed,  to  hide  his  most  private  parts.  "this  ...some  forbidden  place  or  somethin'?"  why  else  would  one  assume  they  were  alone  ..in  public?  would  be  just  his  luck,  stomping  in  somewhere  he  shouldn't  be.

"you  good?  what  were  you  doin'  in  the  water?"  surely,  he  must've  had  a  good  reason  to  be  in  there.  had  he  been  fishing?  no,  he  didn't  see  any  spears  or  fires.  hm.

[onceuponers]

As sad as Ariel is to hear the other's misfortune, his kind eyes and pretty smile distract him from that sad thought. He didn't recognize this person, nor did he recall seeing such environments, which meant he and Eric had another realm to discover soon. That excited him.

"Oh, I am capable of walking myself, thank you!" Ariel said, standing up straight and feeling prideful in his ability to walk with his legs. "But nice to meet you, Titus... where are you from...?"

Titus chuckles. "Yeah, no beaches. We've got rivers, though, and swamps and bayous. God, the bayous are beautiful."

He smiles and chuckles at the awkward but adorable attempts at human decorum. It's probably no worse than Naveen's manners when they first met. Though Titus is finding it difficult to keep his gaze from wandering down to where Ariel is trying to cover up.

"It's a'ight. I understand. I'm Titus. Glad to meet you and excited to meet an actual merman. Do you need any help? I could carry you to a rock or somewhere?"

He starts rolling up his sleeves in anticipation to help. And also maybe to show off his forearms to the cute merman.

[onceuponers]

"Yes, I love it so much—!" Ariel cries out, letting Titus take advantage of his pliant, twitching body. He obviously loved Eric with all his heart, but they agreed that affairs like these were beneficial for both of them. They'd get to satisfy their rampant sexual urges, but when they reunited in their home, it made their sex all the much better. Ariel just loved the world too much to limit it to one person — and the world benefitted.

Taking some initiative, Ariel presses backwards, gently pushing Titus onto his back so he can ride the other man with vigor. "You feel so big—!" he cries out, feeling the stretch in his cunt in all the best ways.

Titus slides in and out of Ariel as smooth as butter. He prefers bottoming, but once he first saw the merman's pussy, he knew he needed to get inside it.

"Fuck yeah," he says, using a thumb to play with the man's clit in time with his thrusts. "You fucking love this big black cock, yeah? It's making you all wet."

He lifts his hand in full view of Ariel's gaze and licks the pussy juices off his fingers, then goes back to working the clit.